Mulan Runs Into Trouble
by Megara and Hades
Summary: What if Mulan's match was at training camp?
1. Chapter 1

Mulan nervously closed the large doors behind her and followed the Matchmaker to the long wooden table in the center of the room.

The large woman gestured to an empty chair across the table from her.

Mulan bowed her head and took a seat, nearly toppling out of the chair.

"Mhmmm," the woman looked up from her tablet at the unstable young lady.

"Fa Mulan, daughter of Fa Zhou, the respected and honorable war hero," read the Matchmaker.

"Also daughter of Fa Li, the strong woman who took care of the village's children and elderly during the war," Mulan added.

"Speaking without permission," the woman scribbled on her tablet.

The young woman cleared her throat softly.

The Matchmaker looked up and down at Mulan then scribbled more notes onto her tablet.

Mulan stretched her neck to see what the woman was writing down.

She caught a glimpse reading: _too skinny, not good for bearing sons._

"Your father has brought great honor to your family Fa Mulan," the Matchmaker stood from her chair.

"I have a very special match for you."

"Pardon me, but..." Mulan spoke.

She felt the Matchmaker's eyes narrow at her moving lips.

"What does my _Father's_ honor have to do with me and for who I am a good match?"

"Your father has done a great deal for this country Fa Mulan. He is the most well-respected man in this village. His honor will be passed down for generations to come. There are many men who want their sons to be with the daughter of such a high-praised man. That is, if she can hold her tongue," the large woman mumbled under her breath.

Mulan sat in silence as she still did not understand.

Mulan was not her father, she was her own person; someone who deserved to make a match for the great things she has done, not because of her ancestry.

"Now," the woman turned toward a nearby door. "If you're done questioning my authority as this village's Matchmaker, I would like to introduce you to your _very_ special match."

The young woman nodded her head and followed slowly behind the Matchmaker.

The woman placed one hand on the door.

"Now, remember, you must remain posed and polite. This young man has traveled many miles to be here today so do not..."

Mulan impatiently pushed open the door, the back side slamming into the face of the man on the other side.

"...do anything that would upset him," the Matchmaker finished her sentence.

"I am soooo sorry," the young lady ran to the man's side.

He had both of his hands cupped over his nose.

"I didn't know you'd be so close to the door," Mulan looked up and down at the man. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"Ha ha," the Matchmaker laughed nervously. "She's just joking."

All three stood in awkward silence.

"I'll go get some ice," Mulan walked back through the doors toward the kitchen.

When she returned, the Matchmaker was apologizing on Mulan's behalf for her behavior and promised she wasn't always this clumsy; she was only nervous to meet such a hard-to-make match.

Anger arose in Mulan but she remained silent.

"Here's to ice breaking," Mulan teased as she handed the ice to her match who remained unnamed.

The young man cracked a smile.

"Come, I'll properly introduce the two of you."

The two young matches followed the large woman into the living room.

Each sat on one end of the couch.

The woman sat on a chair across from them.

She had Mulan pour tea for her match, the Matchmaker, then herself.

"Fa Mulan," the Matchmaker began reading from her tablet. "Daughter of Fa Zhou; the great war hero. Fa Zhou has brought immense honor upon not only his family, but his village and country. Mulan will now carry that honor over to the family you will start together."

Mulan's eyes widened.

The Matchmaker sent her a stern look.

"Li Shang, son of General Li; the great..."

Mulan spit out her tea in shock and began coughing profusely.

Then, before anyone could say anything, someone in the village began banging drums, warning the people that the emperor's council was on his way into the village entrance.

Everybody ran outside.

Chi Fu rode up on his horse followed by two men on each side of him.

He nodded to Li Shang.

"I am sorry Fa Mulan, I must go."

Mulan bowed.

The entire village began to crowd around.

"Citizens! I bring a proclamation from the Imperial City. The Huns have invaded China! By order of the emperor, one man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army," Chi Fu announced and quickly began handing out scrolls.

"The Fa family."

Fa Zhou emerged from the crowd to accept the scroll.

"Please!" Mulan stepped in front of her father. "My father has already fought..."

"Silence!" Chi Fu commanded the young woman.

"I know the General's son! I _will_ do something about this!"

"That is enough Mulan," her father scolded.

He took the scroll, bowed to the council, and headed home with his family in silence.

"Mulan, how could you lie to the Emperor's council? You bring me great dishonor," Fa Zhou spoke softly, breaking the silence.

Mulan did not reply, she did not explain that what she told the council wasn't a lie; she just continued walking in silence.

Later that night there was a knock at the door.

Mulan quietly pulled open the door and stepped outside, her makeup dripping and smudged from crying.

"I got your message. Is everything okay?"

"Can we walk?" Mulan ignored Li's question.

"Sure."

Mulan told Li about her father and how if he went back to war, he wouldn't return again.

"I'm sorry Mulan but I can't do anything. Even if I were to speak with my father, it's the _Emperor's_ law; one man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army. And the training starts tomorrow. I'm afraid the only way out of this would be if your father had a son."

Mulan grew silent.

"Listen, Mulan, about me running off this afternoon..."

"It was because of your father; you learned he would be returning to war too," Mulan's eyes starred at the ground, lifelessly.

"Precisely. But upon arriving back home, I was given a job by the Emperor. A very important job that I am not allowed to discuss with anyone...a job requires me going away for a while..."

"Oh."

"I'm not entirely sure when I will be able to return, but until I do," Li Shang pulled something out of his pocket. "I want you to have this," Li held a shiny golden dragon ring in his hand.

Mulan looked up at the ring shimmering in the palm of her matches hand.

Li Shang took her hand and slipped it onto her finger.

"This was my mother's before she passed. She gave it to me to remember her even when she couldn't be with me. That's why I am giving it to you."

"I...I..." Mulan tripped over her words.

"The gold represents great wealth and fortune, see," Li traced his finger along the ring.

"And the dragon is the official crest of the Emperor's palace. As a thank you to my father, the Emperor had his own jewel carver make it especially for my mother."

Mulan was in awe.

"I know that usually the man's family has to approve of his match before he proposes, but I already know my father will like you; you care a lot about your family; that is something very important to him."

Mulan just looked at Li, saying nothing.

Li watched as the sun began drifting off into the horizon.

"I have to go. I start work in the morning. Can I walk you home?"

Mulan shook her head, "I'll be okay."

She continued starring at the ring on her finger.

"Goodbye for now Fa Mulan."

Gray clouds slowly began forming over the village.

Soon, rain poured from the sky.

Mulan sauntered back home.

Before she opened the front door, she slipped her ring off and tucked it in her sleeve.

Mulan opened the door and there sat her father waiting for her.

"Mulan," he spoke quietly. "Where were you? You cannot just disappear without telling us," he pulled his daughter into a hug.

"You wouldn't believe me."

Fa Zhou looked concernedly at his daughter.

"I know that you are upset about the war Mulan, but it is an honor to protect my country and my family."

"So you'll die for honor?"

"I will die doing what's right."

"But if you..."

"I know my place! It is time you learned yours," Fa Zhou spoke harshly.

A mix of emotions shot through Mulan's small-framed body.

She ran back out into the pouring rain and sat on the Great Stone Dragon.

She stayed there until the last candle in the house was blown out.

"...the only way out of this would be if your father had a son," Li Shang's words echoed in Mulan's head.

Then, Mulan had an idea.

She said a quick prayer to her ancestors then quietly crept into her parents room where they were both sound asleep.

She took the scroll from her father's night stand and replaced it with the golden engagement ring.

Then, she tiptoed into the closet where her father kept his armor.

She slowly removed the sword from its scabbard and chopped off her hair, lifting what was left into a bun.

Mulan quietly armored herself, mounted her horse, and sped out of the gate.

Suddenly, something awoke Grandmother Fa.

She raced to her son's room.

"Mulan is gone!"

"What?" Fa Zhou and Fa Li quickly sat up from bed.

Fa Zhou looked at his nightstand where an unfamiliar ring sat alone.

"It can't be!" he raced to the empty armor wardrobe.

"Mulan!" he yelled limping outside into the rain.

Fa Li followed quickly behind him.

"No!" he cried watching the gate doors swing in the wind.

"That ring," Fa Zhou spoke. "It has the Emperor's crest on it."

"So Mulan wasn't lying about knowing the General's son?" Fa Li questioned.

"Not only does she know him...he is her match."

Fa Li gave her husband a worried look.

"The Emperor made him the new Captain which means he's going to be the one training her."

"You must go after her," Fa Li told her husband. "She could be killed!"

"If I reveal her," Fa Zhou shed a tear. "She will be."

MULAN MEETS MUSHU ALONG THE WAY.

SET SCENE: MULAN WALKING THROUGH THE CAMP ON THE FIRST DAY OF TRAINING

"So, let me get this straight," the lizard-sized dragon sassily spoke to Mulan.

"You left your family and a perfectly handsome match back at home to come... _here_?"

"I told you I came to..."

"I know, I know. Save your father," Mushu replied sarcastically.

"Besides," Mulan continued. "I didn't leave my match behind. He kind of left me."

"Where did he go that was so important that he left his match behind the day after he proposes to her?"

 _Gulp._

"Here."

"Here what?" Mushu inquired.

"Here," Mulan responded. " _He's_ here."

"Who's here?" Mushu looked around.

"My match; the General's son," Mulan's face grew pale.

"Your match is the General's son and you didn't think he'd be at training camp?!" Mushu began to panic.

"The Emperor's council said 'one man from every family.'"

"We need to get you out of here before he recognizes you," Mushu told her.

"He won't. I was buried in makeup when we met," Mulan took a deep breath.

"So maybe he won't recognize you now, but what about when you both return home and get MARRIED?! Are you going to wear makeup around him for the rest of your life?!"

"Quiet Mushu, he's coming over here."

 _Gulp._

"Which family are you representing?" Li asked looking at the tablet in Chi Fu's hand.

"The Fa family...sir."

"The Fa family? As in Fa Zhou?"

Mulan nodded.

"I didn't know he had a son," Chi Fu spoke.

"Well, he does," Mulan deepened her voice.

"He doesn't talk about me much because he favorites my sister Mulan. Can't compete with her haha."

Li cleared his throat.

"Getting too close," Mushu whispered to Mulan.

"Let me see your conscription," Li stretched out his hand.

Mulan handed the scroll to the man who one day prior, asked her to marry him.

Li nodded and handed the scroll to Chi Fu.

"What's your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes."

"It's uh...it's..."

"Ping," Mushu whispered into Mulan's ear.

"Ping," Mulan told Li.

"Ping?" Li Shang questioned.

"Ping is my name, war is my game."

Li nodded to Mulan and patrolled back to his tent.

 _Gulp._


	2. Chapter 2

"'Ping is my name, war is my game?'" Mushu mocked.

"Shut up," Mulan pushed the dragon's head back down into her collar.

"Who you telling to 'shut up' pretty boy?" Yao, a short but angry man turned to Mulan.

"Uhh...I didn't," Mulan said in fear.

"You callin' me a liar?" Yao tightened his fist and smashed it into the palm of his other hand.

"No, no. Definitely not," Mulan replied looking at the short man turning red.

She turned, heading away from confrontation.

"Ha!" Ling, a tall and thin man rested his arm on Yao's shoulder.

"This boy won't survive war for a day; he's afraid of one fist!" Ling chuckled.

"Oh yeah?" Mushu's head poked out from the back of Mulan's armor. "I could take both of you!"

"Mushu!" Mulan spoke sternly to the dragon.

"Yeah? Prove it," Yao cracked his knuckles and walked toward Mulan.

Ling swung his arms around, acting like he knew kung fu.

"Is that the general calling? Got to go."

Mulan ran toward the camp tents.

"You can run, but you can't hide," Ling squinted, creeping around the back of the tents.

"There he is!" Yao announced pointing to Mulan crouching behind one of the tents catching her breath.

Mulan stood up and ran from the two men.

Breathing heavily, she looked behind her.

Her foot caught one of the tent stakes and she tumbled into the general's tent.

 _Oof._

"Ping?" Shang helped the soldier to his feet.

"Where'd he go?" Ling and Yao yelled from outside the tent.

"Already causing trouble are we solider?" the general asked Mulan.

"Just uh, making some friends. You know how we men are- roughing things up and what not," Mulan brushed herself off.

"I will not have that kind of behavior in my camp. Is that understood Mr..."

"Ping, Fa Ping" the captain introduced Mulan to his father.

"Fa? As in Fa Zhou?"

Mulan nodded.

"I was not aware that Fa Zhou had a son," the general scratched his chin.

"Well, what can I say, my sister has always been the favorite," Mulan joked awkwardly.

"Well Fa Ping, try to be a little more careful from now on. Clumsiness may have saved you from a fight this time, but it certainly won't in war," the general let Mulan off with a warning.

The captain chuckled to himself.

"Oh, and captain," Mulan turned as she was leaving. "Your nose is bleeding."

"Shang, I hope _you_ aren't starting fights here at camp," Mulan heard the general say to his son from outside the tent.

"No sir...let's just say Ping's sister is just as clumsy."

Mulan chuckled.


End file.
